We earn a commission if you book through some links on this page. It doesn't change your price, and hotels can't pay to be listed. How we make money.
December to February is the time to swim in Brisbane, with average highs of 29.6°C in December and 30.4°C in January. We list ten rooftop pools. One hotel sells day passes, six take guests only, and three don't publish who can swim.
Our first pick is Ovolo Fortitude Valley, which is the one hotel here selling day passes: A$49 per person, Wednesday to Sunday. If you're staying anyway and want height, Emporium South Bank has a heated 23m pool on the 21st floor, though it doesn't publish who can use it.
Only day pass on our list, A$49, Wednesday to Sunday
5-star hotel, rated 4.5 on Google (992 reviews)
Sample photo, not Ovolo Fortitude Valley. Ted Eytan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Non-guests can swim
Day pass
Sold, price varies
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Buy a pass if you want to swim at Ovolo without checking in. Wednesday to Sunday, A$49 per person gets you a reserved table, a towel and two frozen cocktails. No other pool on our list sells day passes.
Ovolo's pool sits up top in Fortitude Valley, as part of the ABOVE Rooftop Pool & Bar, which runs all day with DJs. The hotel doesn't publish a floor or say whether the water is heated. The day pass doesn't run Monday or Tuesday.
Best forVisitors who want a rooftop swim and cocktails for a fixed price without booking a room.
Skip it ifYou need a Monday or Tuesday swim, or want a heated pool in winter.
21st floor, 23m infinity edge, heated to 28°C all year
5-star hotel, rated 4.5 on Google (2,001 reviews)
Sample photo, not Emporium South Bank. Blake Patterson from Alexandria, VA, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
21stfloor pool
Who can swim
Access not published
Day pass
No
Heated
Heated
Season
Open year-round, heated year-round
Why it's here. The pick for a long, warm swim high above the river. The pool is 23 metres long, open 6am to 10pm daily and kept at 28°C, up on the 21st floor. The hotel doesn't publish who can swim, so confirm before you plan on it.
Emporium Hotel South Bank has an infinity-edge pool deck up on the 21st floor, overlooking the river and city. Hours are 6am to 10pm daily, and the water is kept at 28°C all year. The catch is that the hotel doesn't publish its access rules.
Best forGuests after a long heated pool with a rooftop bar on the same deck.
Skip it ifYou need a confirmed non-guest swim or day pass before you travel.
Heated Level Four deck open 24/7, with a walk-in bar
5-star hotel, rated 4.5 on Google (2,132 reviews)
Sample photo, not W Brisbane. Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Hotel guests only
Day pass
No
Heated
Heated
Season
Described as the place to unwind all year round
Why it's here. Stay here if you want to swim at odd hours. The WET Deck pool on Level Four is heated and open 24/7, and AWAY Spa treatment guests can use it too. The rooftop bar takes walk-ins.
W Brisbane's WET Deck is an outdoor, heated pool on Level Four, with sun loungers and views of Brisbane City. It is open 24/7. The catch is that swimming is limited to people staying at the hotel and AWAY Spa treatment guests.
Best forSwimmers who want early or late hours, plus spa visitors after a pre or post treatment dip.
Skip it ifYou want a high floor or a pool you can buy a day pass for.
Cabana-lined rooftop pool above Fortitude Valley, heating not published
5-star hotel, rated 4.4 on Google (554 reviews)
Sample photo, not The Alva. PattayaPatrol, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Access not published
Day pass
No
Heated
Not heated
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Choose this one for a rooftop with a restaurant attached. Cabanas and daybeds ring the pool above Fortitude Valley, and food and drinks can be taken poolside. Heating, hours and swimming access aren't published.
The Alva's rooftop pool is on Brunswick St in Fortitude Valley, with cabanas, daybeds and skyline views. Iris Rooftop Bar & Restaurant serves drinks and Spanish-inspired dishes, with long lunches by the pool and tapas in the evening. Heating, hours and access rules aren't published.
Best forGuests who want to eat and drink beside the pool as much as swim.
Skip it ifYou need confirmed non-guest access or a heated pool in winter.
Boundary Street pool with few published details, so call ahead
5-star hotel, rated 4.5 on Google (1,409 reviews)
Sample photo, not Crystalbrook Vincent. Pjotr Mahhonin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Access not published
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Consider it as a CBD base if you're happy to ask before you book. The hotel publishes no floor, hours, heating or access rules for its pool. Breakfast isn't included in the room rate.
Crystalbrook Vincent is at 5 Boundary St in Brisbane City. No pool floor, hours, heating or access rules are published, so there is little to plan around. Google rates the hotel 4.5 from 1409 reviews.
Best forTravelers who already want the Boundary Street location and will confirm pool details directly.
Skip it ifYou need published hours, heating or non-guest access before you book.
Guests-only rooftop pool open 6:30am to 9pm, under an operable roof
4-star hotel, rated 4.3 on Google (521 reviews)
Sample photo, not voco Brisbane. Jordiferrer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Hotel guests only
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Book this if you're staying and want fixed hours. The rooftop pool opens 6:30am to 9pm daily for guests, with sunbeds and sheltered seats. The hotel says an operable roof protects the area, which helps on a wet day.
voco Brisbane City Centre has an outdoor rooftop pool on North Quay, with sunbeds and sheltered seats. Hours are 6:30am to 9pm daily. The hotel doesn't publish the floor or whether the pool is heated.
Best forGuests wanting a rooftop pool with cover from sun and showers.
Skip it ifYou aren't staying, or you need a heated pool that's confirmed.
Heated pool with a swim-up bar, for hotel guests only
5-star hotel, rated 4.4 on Google (1,929 reviews)
Sample photo, not Hyatt Regency Brisbane. Supercarwaar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
4thfloor pool
Who can swim
Hotel guests only
Day pass
No
Heated
Heated
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Choose Hyatt for a heated pool with a swim-up bar, as long as you're staying the night anyway. Only guests can swim, and the hotel publishes no day pass.
Hyatt Regency is at 33 Burnett Ln, Brisbane City. We list the pool on the 4th floor, and it's heated. The hotel's Hyatt Australia page describes a rooftop swim-up pool and bar. The catch is access: it's for guests, and no day pass is published.
Best forHotel guests after a heated pool with a bar reachable from the water.
Rooftop pool and spa overlooking the CBD, guests only
5-star hotel, rated 4.4 on Google (4,319 reviews)
Sample photo, not Sofitel Brisbane Central. Jose Monica, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Hotel guests only
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Choose Sofitel for a pool and a spa in the same stay at a 5-star CBD hotel. Access is for guests, and the hotel doesn't publish the floor, hours or heating.
Sofitel is at 249 Turbot St in Brisbane City, and the pool is on its roof. The hotel calls it a relaxed, chic rooftop pool and spa overlooking the CBD. The catch is how little is published: no floor, no hours, and no word on heating.
Best forHotel guests wanting a rooftop pool and a spa under one roof in the CBD.
Skip it ifYou need a published floor, opening hours or a heated pool.
Sample photo, not Soda Apartments. Jose Monica, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Hotel guests only
Day pass
No
Heated
Heated
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Soda suits guests who swim early or late: the pool, sundeck and BBQ run 7am to 10pm, and the hotel says the pool is heated. It's for guests only, and hours can change.
Soda Apartments is at 27 Cordelia St, South Brisbane, and the pool is on its roof, with city views from the deck. It's an outdoor heated pool with a sundeck and BBQ area, open 7am to 10pm. The catch is that the hotel says hours may change, and it's guests only.
Best forFamilies and groups in an apartment who want an evening swim and a BBQ on the roof.
Skip it ifYou aren't staying or you need a published floor.
Plain rooftop pool at a 230-room Spring Hill hotel
4-star hotel, rated 4.3 on Google (2,323 reviews)
Sample photo, not Grand Chancellor Brisbane. Alexandre Ultré, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Rooftopfloor not published
Who can swim
Hotel guests only
Day pass
No
Heated
Not published
Season
Not published
Why it's here. Pick this only if the hotel suits you for other reasons and a rooftop pool is a bonus. Guests can use the pool, and the hotel publishes little else about it.
Hotel Grand Chancellor Brisbane is at 23 Leichhardt St, Spring Hill, and the pool is on its roof. The hotel lists it among the facilities of its 230-room CBD hotel. The catch is that no floor, hours, heating or view is published.
Best forGuests choosing a 4-star CBD hotel where a rooftop pool is a bonus rather than the reason to book.
Skip it ifPool hours, heating or a day pass decide your booking.
The warmest swimming is December to February. Average highs reach 29.6°C in December and 30.4°C in January, and November averages 28.3°C. Winter is cooler: June and July highs sit around 21°C.
Four hotels on our list heat the water: Emporium South Bank, W Brisbane, Hyatt Regency and Soda Apartments. Emporium keeps its pool at 28°C all year, which makes it our booking for a winter swim. Book early around Brisbane Festival (3 to 25 September 2027), CollectFest at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (6 and 7 March 2027) and the Fatboy Slim show at South Bank on 10 March.
Average daily high by month in Brisbane
Avg high
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
°C
29
29
28
26
24
21
21
22
24
26
27
28
Where to stay: Brisbane's rooftop pools by area
Fortitude Valley
Fortitude Valley is one of the precincts in Brisbane's precinct guides and a base for Brisbane Festival. Ovolo Fortitude Valley and The Alva are both here.
South Bank
South Bank is suggested for river views and lots of attractions. Emporium South Bank, with the 21st-floor pool, is on our list here.
Brisbane City (CBD)
Stay in the CBD, known as the Inner City, to be in the centre of it all. Crystalbrook Vincent, voco Brisbane and Sofitel Brisbane Central are the listed hotels here.
Cheaper ways to swim in Brisbane
Public pools cost far less: adult entry at Jindalee Pool and Valley Pool is A$7.25, against A$49 for the Ovolo day pass. Spring Hill Baths doesn't state an adult price, and none of the three is on a roof.
Jindalee Pool: $7.25. Adult admission (15 years and over). The source lists swimming and water play, and the snippet does not name the city.
Spring Hill Baths. Adult price not stated; the source says concession rates are available on enquiry. The snippet does not name the city.
Valley Pool: $7.25. Adult admission (14 years and over); members enter free. The snippet does not name the city.
Hotels you might expect here, and why they're not
Rydges Southbank is the one hotel people expect on this list, but its own pages place the pool on the Podium Level, not the roof.
Rydges Southbank. The hotel's own pages place the pool on the Podium Level, not the roof. Only one third-party guide calls it a rooftop pool, and the hotel's pages win when sources disagree.
Brisbane rooftop pools: questions people ask
Which Brisbane hotels let non-guests swim on the roof?
One does: Ovolo Fortitude Valley sells day passes for A$49 per person from Wednesday to Sunday, with a reserved table, a towel and two frozen cocktails. Six hotels are guests only, and Emporium South Bank, The Alva and Crystalbrook Vincent don't publish their access rules, so ask before you go.
Are any Brisbane rooftop pools heated?
Yes, four: Emporium South Bank, W Brisbane, Hyatt Regency Brisbane and Soda Apartments. Emporium holds 28°C all year. The other six don't publish heating details or say it isn't heated.
Which is the highest rooftop pool in Brisbane?
Emporium South Bank, on the 21st floor, is the highest on our list that publishes its floor. Only one other hotel, Hyatt Regency Brisbane on the 4th floor, publishes one.
Where in Brisbane can I find a rooftop pool with a swim-up bar?
Hyatt Regency Brisbane. The pool is heated and has a swim-up bar, but the hotel allows only its guests to swim and publishes no day pass.
How can I swim in Brisbane for the least money?
A public pool. Jindalee Pool and Valley Pool charge A$7.25 for adults, while the only hotel day pass on our list, at Ovolo Fortitude Valley, is A$49.
Can I swim at a Brisbane rooftop pool in winter?
Yes, at Emporium South Bank, which heats its pool to 28°C all year and opens it 6am to 10pm. W Brisbane's heated deck is open 24/7 for guests. Winter highs are around 21°C in June and July.
